Those who could climb, climbed,
and those who could swim
clung to anything afloat

as Nature did her best imitation of wrath.
Earth would have shaken its creatures off:

things of the sea dashed on the rocks
or hurled shivering onto the lap of the shore,
burrowing things drowned in their burrows,

birds not driven ahead of the storm
blasted against windows, sides of buildings,
feathers driven into bark of thrashing trees.

Bibles were useless, except
to lend words to the people’s fears,
confirming their agonies,
their prayers an almost palpable panoply
of shuddering grace notes on the cascading winds.